Steve Reynolds

Looks strong, Ulrich

Gerald Cleaver's Black Host havn't heard the recording but live they are everything - combining raunchy guitar care of Brandon Seabrook, way out bass via Pascal Niggenkemper, the awesome Cooper-Moore on free jazz piano and the great screaming bluesman on alto, Mr. Darius Jones. Cleaver lays down the groove throughout most of the music that I heard live - lots of rock feel to this band - and it isn't really fusion of the traditional sort.

Iyer was quite good with Trio 3 a coupld of months back. I've not listened much but I'm tempted to go see his large ensemble @ Montclair State on October 5th as he had the very good sense to have the *great* Mat Maneri in the band.

Mid Month but the Marty Ehrlich residency @ The Stone has some great bands - I'm going for sure on 11/16 to see two sets of the quartet with Ray Anderson, Brad Jones and Matt Wilson 11/14 looks great as those 2 bands with Formanek and Sarin should groove like mad. THE STONE RESIDENCIES MARTY EHRLICH NOV 12—17 including: 11/14 Thursday (HB) 8 pm Rites Quartet: Frog Leg Logic Marty Ehrlich (reeds) James Zollar (trumpet) Michael Formanek (bass) Michael Sarin (drums) 10 pm The Traveler’s Tales: Malinke's Dance Marty Ehrlich (reeds) Adam Kolker (tenor sax) Michael Formanek (bass) Michael Sarin (drums) AND: 11/16 Saturday 8 and 10 pm The Ray Anderson/Marty Ehrlich Quartet: Let Me Hear You Say Ray Anderson (trombone) Marty Ehrlich (reeds) Brad Jones (bass) Matt Wilson (drums)

He said this morning that he will have a volume 2 done within 3 years. Not sure if he was serious as he sadi he had been working on the book since 1981.

It does? Yes it does from my perspective which includes personal experience with drug addiction and recovery. Most addicts never escape active addiction even today when there are avenues and opportunities to recover and get clean.In Parker's time the understanding regarding the disease of addiction did not exist. It was looked at as a moral deficiency and personal weakness which it certainly is not. . No one had any clue about any of it - who the hell knew what they were getting into when they figured they were just fooling around with another drug...when did start using heroin? Late 30's or early 40's? On the other hand many people who have used drugs including heroin did NOT and do NOT become addicts because they were or are NOT addicts. Some people are simply prone to addiction and at some point, once they are using they are unable to stop using through their own will. Parker was one of those people. Coltrane was also but through his process and in his case a God he found, he was able to stop using in 1957 - although as we know the after effects from his active addiction which was probably liver cancer from untreated hepatitis C killed him 10 years later. Well that's a lot more insightful than Crouch's response! Then again, didn't Parker say Heroin addiction was like rolling over all your problems into ONE big problem. And what about the connection between being a Black man in America at the time and addiction? the reality is that as long as what are refered to or thought of as 'hard drugs' have been available or used in this country - they have been distrubuted through and from more blighted areas which have been predominately populated by black/monorities. I think this says as much and then and now about the connection/relationship between African Americans and addiction as anything. My experience is that the disease of addiction does NOT discriminate base don color/age/religion/background/family background, upbringing or whatever. addicts are addicts - that's really as deep as it gets. I know Doctors/Lawyers/homeless/homeowner/nice guys/scumbags - I know all sorts.

It does? Yes it does from my perspective which includes personal experience with drug addiction and recovery. Most addicts never escape active addiction even today when there are avenues and opportunities to recover and get clean.In Parker's time the understanding regarding the disease of addiction did not exist. It was looked at as a moral deficiency and personal weakness which it certainly is not. . No one had any clue about any of it - who the hell knew what they were getting into when they figured they were just fooling around with another drug...when did start using heroin? Late 30's or early 40's? On the other hand many people who have used drugs including heroin did NOT and do NOT become addicts because they were or are NOT addicts. Some people are simply prone to addiction and at some point, once they are using they are unable to stop using through their own will. Parker was one of those people. Coltrane was also but through his process and in his case a God he found, he was able to stop using in 1957 - although as we know the after effects from his active addiction which was probably liver cancer from untreated hepatitis C killed him 10 years later.

heard Crouch this AM in a short interview with Don Imus and it was interesting to hear him speaking to a mass audience For me with my trained ear - even in this mainstream context, Stanley said that in jazz one cannot improvise alone on stage with other musicians and we know we hear that alot - of course VERY FEW of the millions of people listening to the interview have any idea what he is talking about. For me I know that he simply cannot help himself in his resentment of music he dislikes and even disdains just because the inteplay of certain improvising musicians or altered or different approaches of improvisation and interplay isn't the *same* or as obvious as the interplay of the music of be-bop, hard bop or more mainstream jazz music. One thing he did say that speaks of the truth - when Don axsked him about Parker's heroin addiction - Stanley responded that he stumbled into it and couldn't escape. Now this speaks of wisdom from Crouch.

Now we need to hear the recordings of The Barry Guy New Orchestra that were played after the small formations sets. We need them soon!

Hate me for this if you like: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Peace and Blessings

Go see a band or musicians that you THINK are too far out or difficult play LIVE Pick a band with a great drummer

The 2 nights and therefore 4 sets I attended were between excellent and spectacular

My wife asks me. Do they prepare? How do they know what to play? Well we all will never know. Evan was almost Ben Webster at the end if the first set and then he is beyond Evan or Trane on the tenor during other portions effortlessly going from circular to that shit he plays that is unplayable by all other tenor players and its all of a piece. And the second set he plays 50 minutes straight except for a two minute coda by the pianist half way through the four piece set. And yet none of it is for show. Extreme intensity and energy levels beyond fucking realistic. How do they prepare? Music played like this is prepared through a lifetime. Life lived. Wisdom through dedication and love. Btw Mat was gorgeous with no pick up and just enough of his sound came through. No ego yet no deference to great man - just respect and beauty.

More later but last night - especially the second set Evan with Sylvie Courvoisier - was one of the singular nights of improvisation in the history of such things. Half way through the second set Evan picks up the straight horn and it goes - thin to the thickest rich circular breathing excursion that exists in this world. Sylvie gets in through the inside of the piano and by the time the 20 minute piece ends, Evan pinched, finessed the tiniest and most direct and precise sounds out if that horn. Best I've ever heard him. And that pianist.....Lordy Lordy And my wife loved it so for those not ready, give yourself a break and listen

Plus the second time I was able to go to the Velvet Lounge back around 1999 or so, I went there with Uli and it was that night that I heard Fred Anderson play live Thanks Uli - you must be very happy that one of our heroes has a park named for him.

I was going to spring for the blu ray but I saw the cd set plus DVD in my local Barnes & Noble and I scooped it up

Just picked up Sunshine Daydream with the DVD Listening to disc 1 - sounds great Will watch the DVD this weekend

Tomorrow night I should be attending 8:00: Evan Parker with Mat Maneri and Lucien Ban 10:00: Evan Parker with Sylvie Courvoisier Will miss Saturday which is two sets with Milford Graves

Last night at The Stone: Evan Parker, John Escreet, John Hebert and Tyshawn Sorey Duets first set ending with a appetite enduring short quartet piece Second set a mind blowing awe inducing 50 minute performance by the quartet ranging from very quiet passages to intensity unseen in other musical worlds. Very very glad I overcame my little cold and irritation to experience brilliance from all four musicians with the giant of the saxophone in absolute prime life changing wall melting form. Biggest surprise was how great the drummer was. With just a snare and the bass drum with cymbals. Like he had played with Evan for years. Also glad that my wife at the last minute decided to go so she could experience seeing the legendary saxophonist for the first time After the show Evan thanked the group for allowing him to join them. Will not forget this show ever.

Just picked up a copy. Haven't heard it in many years

I don't see the forum when I click on forum

Would love to hear it. Nothing about 'too obscure' or not being ready (give me a break on that - how do I prove my readiness? who do I apply to for the badge?). Simple - too expensive. When the spare's there then I'll be sharing your enthusiasm. I understand that for you, obviously not 'too obscure' my pointed obseravtions tends towards those who conciosously or unconciously avoid many of those musicians not associated with the tradition - specifically the american tradition of jazz or even american free jazz - but the interest level or even inquiry level for even the great first generation european improvisors is close to null and void. I have a pseudo friend who grew up with much of the downtown loft scene in NYC in the 70's and when we became familiar with each other, I gave him a copy of Evan Parker's The Two Seasons - and after probably sulking through a few minutes of it, he decided that Mark Sanders was just a loud drummer. Or "listeners" who grew up in that scene or related scenes and maybe they hear Paul Lovens and say - oh nothing different there.... forget about hoisting the SME on them - total rejection. why I wish guys like John Edwards and Paul Rogers could visit NYC to expose some of these "listeners" to approaches with the bass that havn't for whatever reason even entered into the American community of free jazz/free improvisation. The closest we get is guys like Ken Filiano and maybe Michael Bisio - but still the reality is few are really listening to some of these great musicians and it is really a damn shame.

and the most overlooked release of the year is "Mad Dogs" comprised of small formation improvisations from the members of Barry Guy's New Orchestra - recorded live I think in 2011. as far as I can tell, no one on this board or any other board has commented on it - havn't seen that anyone here has bought it. Too much for your mirror, anyone?? still not ready for these guys? Anyone hear ever heard the incredible Inscape/Tableaux - the first Barry Guy New Orchestra recording that was released over 10 years ago? In my listening experience, another landmark all-time recording - then all compositionally based. As far as the Mad Dogs box - granted, it is expensive - ~ $90 - $100 for 5 discs, it is all free improvisation - BUT it is the BEST sounding CD recording maybe I have ever heard - and many of the performances are breathtaking. I think sometimes people think that it is too obscure, the musician's reputaions are too severe - or something - not sure - but very odd that so little interest in a landmark release such as this which includes ome of the truly great improvisor/musicians of our time.

I have met Stanley Crouch one time back I think in 2009 when Bobby Bradford came to NYC to play the Jazz Standard and I was fortunate enough top be able to attend the early show on Saturday night. The band assembled for that night was the reason I HAD to be at that show: Bobby with David Murray on tenor saxophone, Marty Ehrlich on alto saxophone and clarinet, Mark Dresser on bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums. I was itting by the wall with my wife stage left, I guess and Mr. Crouch sat down directy across from me at my table shortly before the show was to start and he ordered dinner and was eating as the set began. As the band started getting into a groove maybe during the 2nd tune (they played 3 or 4 compositions - all of them stretched out as the set was probably 70 - 75 minutes in length), and I think Ehrlich started in on one of those emotionally searching, blues drenched, expressive and angular as all hell solos/excursion on clarinet as he is wont to do when he is inspired - and if my recollection is correct, Dresser end up in some way out, incredible interplay with the great reedman - and I think Stanley at one point, might have twisted a muscle in his neck and he HAD to tunr to see who or what was interrupting his dinner with some extraordinary improvisation of the sort that he had long since stopped experiencing due to his obstinate willful rejected of anything that didn't fit his agenda. I know he knew he heard brilliance - but unfortunately for him, it wasn't coming from the right musicians. Nice to have seen first hand that despite his supposed convictions, I saw the truth that night in an instant as anyone with a heart and even a closed mind who was there for that set know there was brilliance on those 2 musicians (and the others - especially Bradford), but two musicians who STILL - rarely are seen inside on a stage in a major jazz venue. as still the agenda rules - I guess they have to get to 70 plus like a few others to be welcomed into the codified jazz mainstream or maybe they have to wear suits Standing on a Whale Fising for Minnows

Maybe another brief point not ot dredge up the old discussion. When there are SO many releases these days from a wide variety of extremely talented and exciting artists in the broad area of 'avant-garde' or 'free jazz' or 'jazz based or jazz influenced free improvisation', it is such a shame than the focus of many is on recordings that are simply inferior in content and in sound quality than may lesser known releases on lesser known labels. and IMO, the difference in quality is often stunning